Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 14, 1937. J E 2,102,171

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24, i936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, f it'll!!! J moan/v.

ms- ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 14, 1937. J, VANDQREN 2,102,171

REFRIGERAT ING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ".EI'KIYJADJ K'n'odeznl.

- m .ATToRNEYs..

Patented Dec. 14, 1937 i i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Bernard J. Vandoren, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application February 24, 1936, Serial No. 65,323

1 Claim. (Cl. 62141) This invention relates to refrigeration and parwithin the cabinet ill (see Fi 2 and A ticularly to refrigerated beverage storing and diswooden frame l5 extends around the top of the pensing apparatus. upright cabinet walls and serves to support cer- 1 An object of the present invention is to protain members forming the top wall of the cabinet.

vide an improved refrigerating apparatus of the The frame.l5 includes a cross-piece l6 (see Fig. 3) 5 beverage storing, cooling and dispensing type. which forms or provides two openings in the top Another object of the present invention is to Wall of the cabinet Ill. Movable members or doors provide an improved refrigerating apparatus of I! close one of the open ngs inthe Cabine top the type having a wet bottle cooling storage comwall and serves to provide access to the interior partment and a water cooling and dispensing deof the storage compartment l4. Another member 10 vice combined therein. I8 is stationarily mounted upon the cabinet in A further and more specific object of the lnveny Screws other suitable mounting means for tion is to provide unitary refrigerating appapermitting detachment thereof from the cabinet fetus having a refrigerated wet compartment and this member it! closes the other opening in therein for the reception of bottled beverages to the p of the Cabinet- Theeabinet Ou S e l 0 be cooled and dispensed and having a water cool- Panel l extends b y the we ho zon al in ing portion of a water dispensing device mounted Sulated Wall ll of eempertment and o s a within the refrigerated compartment whereby a a e p rt t 9 ated below the inclosed refrigerant circulating system associated sulated compartment or housing h fr ran '10 with 0rmounted in the apparatus serves the liquefying and. circulating unit of a ClOSGd refrigdouble purpose of cooling the bottled beverages ereting Sy stored in the structure and cools water circulated The Closed r ri erating system associated with through the structure for drinking purposes, or mounted in cabinet l0 includes a refrigerant Furthe bje t d ad t g of th present evaporating coil 2| which has convolutions thereof 5 invention will be apparent from the following w pp around r en e ver the outer surdescription, reference being had to the accomfa f the upright W s of h mpa tm nt panying drawings, wherein a preferred form of liner member l3 and is secured in intimate therthe present invention is clearly sho n, mal contact therewith in any suitable or desirable In the drawings; manner. The refrigerant evaporating coil 2| has 570 Fig, 1 is aperspective view of an apparatus conconduit connections 22 and 23 (see Fig. 4) With 'structed in accordance with the present invenh r r n l y n and ul i g ni tion; mounted in the machine compartment IS. The Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view refrigerant q y a d Circulating uni o t e through the apparatusshown in Fig. 1- and taken refrigerating y t includes a p ss 26 on the line 2--2 thereof; operated, through belt and pulley connections 21, Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view by an electric motor 28. Operations of motor 28 through the apparatus and taken on the. line 3-3 y be Controlled y a Switch 9 ua ed in '6- of Fig. 2; sponse to expansion and/or contraction of a vola- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view f a tile fluid sealed within a conduit 3| connected to portion of the apparatus showing a refrigerating a thermostat bulb 32 mounted in heat exchange 40 coil wrapped around or extended over the comrelation with the refrigerating coil 2! (see Figs. partment forming wall member of the apparatus; 2 and 3) in the conventional and well-known and manner. When motor 28 operates to drive comr Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view f a pressor 26 the compressor withdraws evaporated modified form of apparatus having a top arrangeor gaseous refrigerant, through conduit 23, from ment differing slightly from that of the apparatus the refrigerat ng Coil 2| compresses this refrigershown in Fig. 1. ant and forwards same under pressure, through Referring to the drawings. for illustrating the conduit 35, to a condenser 36 where the com- 7 present invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof pressed refrigerant is cooled and liquefied in the a refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet well-known manner. Refrigerant condensed or generally represented by the reference character liquefied in the condenser 36 flows into a receiver In. The cabinet l0 comprises an outer metal tank 3! where it is stored prior to being conducted shell or panel ll enclosing walls of insulating through the pipe 22 back to the evaporating coil material l2 which surround an open-top metal L The cond t or p p 22 is pre erably of Small tank member l3 forming a compartment ll diameter and has a plurality of loops 39 formed 55 therein (see Fig. 4) to thus permit same to serve as a restrictor or expansion element for dividing the refrigerating system into high and low pres sure portions and for restricting the flow of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator 2|.

The stationarily mounted top wall portion of compartment 4 and cabinet I0 is provided with a depressed portion 4| which forms a bowl for receiving water discharged from a bubbler 42 mounted in the bowl. The discharge of water through bubbler 42 is controlled by a faucet or valve 43 also mounted upon the stationary top wall-portion l8 of the cabinet ill. The faucet or valve 43 is interposed in a conduit 44 which extends from a closed water conducting and cooling portion 45 of the water dispensing device of the apparatus. This water cooling portion of the device may be of any suitable or conventional form and is preferably constructed of superimposed and secured together sheet metal members having a closed sinuous passage 46 formed between the sheet metal members. tion 45 is therefore in the form of a flat platelike structure. A conduit 41 connected to one end of the passage 46 of the water cooler 45 extends through the bottom insulated wall l2 of compartment I4 and is adapted to be connected with a source of drinking water supply exteriorly of the cabinet. The sheet metal water cooler portion 45 of the water dispensing device may be supported within compartment 14 adjacent an upright wall thereof by being secured to suitable brackets 48 suspended from the underside of the detachable stationary top wall portion l8 of the structure. A conduit 49 extends from the bowl 4| down through compartment i4 and serves to convey water flowing into bowl 4| from the outlet bubbler 42 away from the cabinet It).

A body of liquid 5| is disposed within compartment l4 formed by the tank member l3. This body of liquid covers and surrounds the sheet metal water cooler portion 45 and serves to transfer heat therefrom to the refrigerant evaporating coil 2| of the refrigerating system to thus cool water or other beverage circulated through the cooler 45. Cooling of the liquid 5| by the evaporator 2| provides a body of cold liquid into which bottled beverages and the like such as bottles 52 may be placed for storage. The submerging of bottles 52 into the body of cold liquid 5| insures rapid cooling of their contents by the conduction of heat therefrom to the refrigerating coil 2|.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have disclosed a modified arrangement of the elements forming the top of cabinet II). It will be noted that in this showing of the structure the movable closure members or doors I'I are positioned or arranged to open from a diiferent side of the cabinet [0.

From' the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided an improved refrigerating appa- The water cooler porratus of the combined water cooling and dispensing and bottled beverage cooling and storing type. My improved apparatus is constructed to be efiicient in operation and provides a practical apparatus for use in stores, gasoline filling stations, etc., where it is desired to serve custom-- a ers with cool drinking water and where such customers quite frequently desire to purchase bottled beverages. The water cooling and dispensing device incorporated in the improved apparatus is of such construction or form that it in no way interferes with the accessibility and removal or replacement of bottled beverages cooled and stored in the apparatus. The combined or unitary water cooling and dispensing and bottled beverage cooling and storing apparatus is small or compact and can be manufactured at low cost.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is as follows:

A unitary refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having a plurality of walls forming an insulated compartment for the reception of articles to be stored and cooled and a machine compartment below the insulated compartment, a closed refrigerating system associated with said apparatus including an evaporator disposed in heat exchange relation with the interior of said insulated compartment and a refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit mounted in the machine compartment of said cabinet, the top wall of said insulated compartment including a detachable portion stationarily secured to said cabinet and a movable portion, said movable portion of said compartment top wall forming a door providing access to the interior of the insulated compartment, a beverage dispensing device associated with said apparatus, said device including a relatively flat closed fluid conducting portion disposed within said insulated compartment along a side wall thereof and attached to the stationarily mounted detachable portion of the compartment top wall, a conduit connecting said portion of said device with a source of fluid supply exteriorly of said insulated compartment, 2. faucet mounted exteriorly of the insulated compartment on the stationarily mounted detachable portion of the top wall thereof and having a conduit connection with said portion of said device within the compartment, and said insulated compartment having a body of liquid therein for transferring heat from said portion of said beverage dispensing device and from articles stored within the compartment to said evaporator of the refrigerating system.

BERNARD J. VANDOREN. 

